1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a unique device for grasping fasteners, fastener accessories, and other small or difficult to hold or reach objects. It is essentially an elongated handle with pairs of gripping fingers at opposite ends. The gripping fingers are biased towards one another so as to create tension when items are being held by the device.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents are representative of the art relating to fastener holding devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,256;157 discloses a nut, bolt and screw holder arrangeable on a finger of a user of the holder, which has a support arrangement disposed for engaging with a finger of the user along a longitudinal extent of the finger. A holding assembly is mounted on the support arrangement for selectively engaging an item, or items, to be held and retaining the item on the support arrangement. The support arrangement includes a longitudinal extending member, and a finger engaging structure provided on the member for cooperatively engaging with as associated finger and removably retaining the member on the finger. The longitudinally extending member includes a first end and a second end spaced from the first end, with the holding arrangement being disposed on the member at the first end of the member. The finger engaging structure includes a ring pivotally mounted on the member adjacent the second end of the member, with the ring being arranged for receiving a finger on which the holder is to be mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,962 describes an invention that is intended for use with threaded fasteners, screws, bolts and similar devices, in their almost limitless applications to assembling objects and structures. These fasteners exist in many types, each requiring a special tool bit. On many occasions screws or other fasteners must be installed or removed in locations difficult of access and of which clear view may not be obtained, also where use of two hands is not possible. This invention is particularly intended for these situations. The invention comprises basically a combination of a barrel and collar, preferably made of stiff but flexible plastic, which fit over and enclose a tool for threaded fasteners, either with a fixed bit or one which can accept insertable bits. The barrel provides at its working or tip end a set of flexible elements which act to grip screw heads and hold them registered with the tool. The barrel can be fixed in place on the tool shaft by a partial turn of either form of the collar. The collar works with a spring to move the barrel into gripping position. A variation for jewelers' screwdrivers uses a miniature barrel without a collar but with a spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,658 describes an invention that is intended as an improved screw holding and driving device having a sleeve positioned on a shank of a screwdriver in surrounding relation. The interior diameter of the sleeve being sized to permit slidable rotation of the sleeve with respect to the shank. The sleeve having a ball detent device for cooperating with a groove located on the screwdriver shank to hold the sleeve in a position on the shank where the sleeve does not extend beyond the screwdriver bit. The ball detent device when engaging the groove enables the sleeve to be held in the position where the sleeve will not be used to hold a screw and at the same time permit the sleeve to be freely rotatable on the shank of the screwdriver.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,774 discloses a screwholder device comprising jaws which form two halves of an axial passageway down which a screw is driven. The jaws are hinged at the rearmost end and resiliently held together by a narrowing at the front exit ends. The screw is driven down the passageway and is held by the jaw ends while being driven to a certain extent into a surface, and the screwhead pushes the jaws apart to allow the screw to exit from the device during final securement of the screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,755 describes an invention that is intended as an insulated fastener retainer, which includes an oval sleeve and oval ring coupled by a plurality of connectors and supporting a pair of oppositely positioned elongated beams. The beams are secured to the flat sides of the oval ring at one end and are received within insulating blocks at the outer ends. A pair of resilient jaws having grip portions are coupled to the insulating blocks and are movable in response to movement of the elongated beams. The fastener retainer is received upon a screwdriver shaft and is maintained thereon by the oval sleeve. The elongated beams and jaws are oval ring thereby distorting the oval ring and separating the fastener retainer jaws.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.